Shelby County rescinds parts of prior farm-sale resolution, approves three-year lease and awards 2025–27 farm bid

Shelby County Board members on Feb. 13 rescinded unexecuted portions of a 2024 resolution related to sale of the county farm, approved a new three-year lease for the county farm covering 2025–2027, and opened and awarded sealed bids to lease the property.

The board first voted to rescind paragraphs 15–22 (the unexecuted portions) of Resolution 2024-34, a resolution that had been intended to sell the county’s mechanic farm. After that procedural step, the board voted to approve a three-year farming lease for the Shelby County Farm for 2025 through 2027; the motion to approve the lease was moved by Miss Cole and seconded by Mr. Morris and passed unanimously.

The board then opened four sealed bids submitted for the farm. The bids announced at the meeting were: Michael Williams ($202 per tillable acre; total $39,794), Stu Fox ($255 per tillable acre; total $50,235), Warville Eversold ($290 per tillable acre; total $57,130), and Tice Robinson ($260 per tillable acre; total $51,220). Meeting materials and bidders’ documents also noted that farm tenants are responsible for paying property taxes and for balance-correction and waterways where required.

A motion was made to accept the highest bid, Warville Eversold at $290 per acre (total $57,130). That motion was seconded and, after discussion in which several county board members noted appreciation for a prior tenant who farmed the property for free, the board voted. The motion carried with 18 ayes and 2 nays. The meeting record shows Tim Brown voted no; another no vote was recorded in the roll call (two nays total). The lease award obligates the successful bidder to the lease terms presented at the meeting.

Board members and members of the public discussed optics and fairness: several speakers praised Stu Fox for past service in caring for the farm at no charge and asked the board to consider that service when awarding the lease. Other members cautioned that the board must follow the bid rules and act in the county’s financial interest.

Earlier in the meeting the county clerk and staff had clarified that the county would not pay property taxes on the leased farm; tenants are responsible for those tax payments under the lease. The county also confirmed that any grammatical edits to the lease would be made, but the substantive lease term is a three-year period (2025–2027).

The board directed county staff to finalize the lease documents with the awarded bidder and to complete routine contract steps, including verification of bid completeness and any required signatures.